This is the first U.S. exhibition of one of the most significant collections of drawings by Leonardo da Vinci. The drawings from the Biblioteca Reale in Turin detail the extensive range of Leonardo’s interests, including pointed observations, fantastical explorations, anatomical studies, and working drawings such as the Study for the Angel (1485) in the painting Madonna of the Rocks. Dating from about 1480 to 1510, the works traverse the arc of Leonardo’s career.

Leonardo da Vinci: Drawings from the Biblioteca Reale in Turin is organized by the Birmingham Museum of Art and is supported by an indemnity from the Federal Council on the Arts and Humanities. This exhibition was made possible by the Foundation for Italian Art and Culture.
The San Francisco presentation is made possible by patrons Rosemary and Ed Baker, the Istituto Italiano di Cultura, the Brown Foundation and a bequest from Leonard E. Kingsley.

Artistic Luxury: Fabergé, Tiffany, Lalique is the first comparative study of the work of the three greatest jewelry and decorative arts designers at the turn of the 20th century: Peter Carl Fabergé, Louis Comfort Tiffany, and René Lalique. Their rivalry found its stage at the 1900 World's Fair in Paris—the only exposition where all three showed simultaneously and where the work of each was prominently displayed. Some of their most elaborate designs for the Paris World's Fair are reunited for the first time in a gallery recreating the ambiance of this opulent international exposition.

Drawn from the collection of the Achenbach Foundation for Graphic Arts, Waking Dreams highlights the dream-like etchings of Max Klinger (1857–1920), the German Symbolist artist best known for his enigmatic portfolio Paraphrases About the Finding of a Glove (1881). In addition to his activities as a painter and sculptor, Klinger was one of the most imaginative graphic artists of the late 19th century. He was a technical virtuoso who had the ability to literally transcribe his innermost visions, the daydreams, fantasies and nightmares of his highly creative and profoundly romantic soul. Waking Dreams presents Klinger’s graphic oeuvre alongside visionary etchings, lithographs and woodcuts by his precursors and contemporaries.

John Baldessari: A Print Retrospective from the Collections of Jordan D. Schnitzer and His Family Foundation is organized by the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco and the Jordan Schnitzer Family Foundation. Education programs presented in conjunction with this exhibition are generously underwritten by the Jordan Schnitzer Family Foundation. The exhibition complements the publication of The Prints of John Baldessari: A Catalogue Raisonne 1971–2007 by Sharon Coplan Hurowitz and Wendy Weitman (Hudson Hills Press LLC, October 2009), and the exhibition John Baldessari: Pure Beauty opening at the Tate Modern in October 2009.

John Baldessari began making prints in the mid-1970s and has continued to produce editions through the years with publishers such as Brooke Alexander Editions, Cirrus Editions, Gemini G.E.L., and Crown Point Press. This retrospective of prints is organized by the Fine Arts Museums from the Portland, Oregon-based collection of Jordan D. Schnitzer, which has among its vast print holdings a complete archive of Baldessari’s printed work.

John Baldessari: A Print Retrospective from the Collections of Jordan D. Schnitzer and His Family Foundation is organized by the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco and the Jordan Schnitzer Family Foundation. Education programs presented in conjunction with this exhibition are generously underwritten by the Jordan Schnitzer Family Foundation. The exhibition complements the publication of The Prints of John Baldessari: A Catalogue Raisonne 1971–2007 by Sharon Coplan Hurowitz and Wendy Weitman (Hudson Hills Press LLC, October 2009), and the exhibition John Baldessari: Pure Beauty opening at the Tate Modern in October 2009.

Best known for his achievements in sculpture and painting, Alberto Giacometti (1901–1966) was also an accomplished printmaker. In 1957 he began an epic series of 150 lithographs of his beloved Paris, where he had lived since 1922. The lithographs were intended for a deluxe artist’s book Paris sans fin (Paris Forever) that would be published by Tériade, one of the great innovators of the artist book in the modern era.

With their numerous exhibitions and community programs, both the de Young and the Legion of Honor rely greatly on the Fine Arts Museums' Volunteer Council, a vital, 300-member organization that provides visitor services and staff support six days a week.

The Annual Giving Program brings together an important and dynamic group of individuals who share a passion for art and the Fine Arts Museums. Their gifts provide vital support for our exhibitions, education programs, and the care of our collections. Annual Giving donors receive a host of attractive benefits, including invitations to exclusive exhibition openings, private tours, and VIP tickets for exhibitions.